Ecosystems Year 8 Flashcards
Autotrophs
An organism that produces their own food. Also known as producers
Heterotrophs
An organism that consumes food from autotrophs . Also known as consumers
Photosynthesis
The food making process in plants
Fat
Organic substance solid at room temperature
Metabolism
Chemical reaction occurring within an organism that enable that organism to use energy and grow and repair cells
Cellular Respiration
the chemical reaction involving oxygen that moves the energy in glucose into the compound ATP. The body is able to use the energy contained in ATP.
Aerobic respiration
The chemical breakdown of food using oxygen. This reaction requires enzymes to speed up the reaction
Glycolysis
Process which glucose is converted into a simpler form
Cytosol
The fluid inside cells
Krebs Cycle
Process where ATP and carbon dioxide are produced
Mitochondria
Organelle that supplies energy to all other parts of the cell
Anaerobic respiration
Chemical breakdown of food without oxygen
Lactic acid
Product of anaerobic respiration
Ethanol
Product of anaerobic respiration in plants
Obligate Anaerobes
Organisms than only respire using anaerobic respiration
Organism
A living thing
Species
A group of living organisms able to interbreed with each other
Population
A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular area at a particular time
Community
More than one population living in an area
Ecosystem
Communities of organisms that interact with each other
Ecology
The study of ecosystems
Decomposers
Organisms that break down organic matter into inorganic materials
Herbivores
Animals that eat only plants
Primary consumers/first-order consumer
The first consumer in a food chain
Carnivores
Animals that eat other animals
Omnivores
Animals that eat plants and other animals
Detrivores
An animal that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter
Ecological niche
The position of a species or population in its ecosystem in relation to each other
Competition
Struggle among organisms for food territory and other factors
Parasitism
An interaction in which one species (the parasite) lives in or on another species (the host) from which it obtains food, shelter and other requirements
Mutualism
Relationship between two different organisms in which both benefit
Commensalism
Relationship between organisms where one benefits and the other is unaffected
Interspecific competition
Competition between organisms of the same species
Intraspecific competition
Competition between organisms of different species
Predator-prey relationship
Relationship between organisms in which one species (the predator) kills and eats another species (the prey)
Symbiotic relations
Very close relationship between two organisms of different species. It may benefit or harm one of the partners
Chemosynthetic
Organisms that produce organic material using energy from chemical reaction
Food chains
How energy is stored in one organism and passed to the other
Food web
Several food chains put together
Tropic level
Level within a food chain or web or pyramid
First order
Organism in the second trophic level
Second order
Organism in the third trophic level
Energy pyramid
A representation of the level of food energy at each level of a food chain
Pyramid of numbers
Representation of population at each level within a food chain
Pyramid of biomass
Representation of the dry mass of organisms at each level within a food chain
Birth rate
Number of organisms born during a particular time period
Death rate
Number of organisms that die within a particular time period
Immigration
Number of individuals moving into an area
Emigration
The number of individuals leaving an area
Exponential growth
Rapid increase of number and size
Sigmoid
The shape of a graph showing an increasing population
Equilibrium/Steady state/plateau phase
A state in which conditions are balanced no there is no growth or decline in number
Zero population growth
The point at which birth and death cancel each other out
Carrying capacity
The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain
